Detention of Writers and Bloggers in Saudi Arabia Latest Development in Crackdown on Dissent
"The ray of hope following the temporary release of three women’s rights activists on March 28, including 2019 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award honoree Eman al-Nafjan, has been quickly… More
Washington State’s Decision to Ban Book Donations to Prisons Misguided and Harmful
"Literature offers a way for people in prison to expand their minds, to retain a sense of connection to the outside community, to pass the time, and to continue… More
Georgia House Bill On “Journalism Ethics Board” Raises Serious First Amendment Concerns
"This proposal flies in the face of the most basic freedoms laid out in our Constitution, and pre-filing the bill right before the close of one legislative session and… More
PEN America Response to the Canceled Panel at Columbia University
We understand that in recent weeks event participants and organizers began to have serious reservations about the composition of the panel for the event, believing that it reflected an… More
Press Freedom Coalition Urges DOJ to Reject Guideline Proposals that Could Chill Journalists
“Journalists are facing unprecedented threats in this country for simply doing their job,” said Nora Benavidez, Director of U.S. Free Expression Programs at PEN America. More
Bitter Divisions over Free Speech on Campus Reflect the Fissures of a Polarized America, PEN America Report Argues
"Far from taking place in isolation behind ivy-covered walls, today’s campus free speech controversies are inextricable from the social and political upheaval of this historical moment.” More
Egyptian Blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah’s Release Requirements Compromise the Freedom He Deserves
"Alaa Abd El Fattah's release from prison is cause for celebration, but we must not forget that he never should have spent a moment in jail for engaging in… More
Writer, Activist, and 2019 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award Honoree Eman Al-Nafjan’s Release a Ray of Hope for Justice
"The PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award has for decades been a powerful tool to pry free courageous writers who take the greatest risks in order to express themselves. While… More
New Ukrainian Sanctions Against Russian Book Publishers and Internet Bookstores is a Brazen Attack on Intellectual Freedom
"These new sanctions violate Ukrainians' right to intellectual freedom, and seek to sever Ukraine from the global literary and academic community." More
Egyptian Government Suing Author Alaa al-Aswany Part of Mission to Harass and Silence Writers
“Al-Aswany is being accused merely because of his criticism of President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi. The government is blatantly pursuing a mission to harass writers and to censor voices reflecting the diversity and… More